Atletico Madrid captain, Koke has issued an apology to the fans after they were defeated by Athletic Club in the semi-final of the Copa del Rey.
The purpose of Los Rojiblancos’ lengthy journey north was to reverse a 1-0 first-leg loss in the semifinals at Estadio San Mames.
Atletico Madrid, however, suffered a loss in the Basque region even though they appeared well-positioned to at least challenge the hosts.
The Williams brothers’ two goals in the first half—Inaki’s first goal and Nico’s second to double the lead—put an end to any hopes of a comeback.
Just minutes into the second-half, the in-form Gorka Guruzeta added a third goal to send the hosts—for the first time since 2021—into the final.
According to Football Espana, after his team’s attempt to win a domestic trophy this season was dashed, Koke stated there could be no justifications.
“It’s a hard night, we weren’t at the level we needed to be. At home we had opportunities to win, but we didn’t. We came here, we tried, but it wasn’t to be”, as per quotes from Mundo Deportivo.
“I apologise to the fans who came up here, and to those at home who wanted us to be in a final. We tried, but we were not up to the task.”
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Koke pointed out that while Atletico will compete in both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League this season, winning the league seems out of reach.
It appears that they will finish in the top four. But they will need to overcome a difficult loss in their 1-0 Champions League first-leg loss to Inter Milan.
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